


Motherhood Through an Ymbryne's Eyes

by Spooky_Spooks



Series: Original MPHFPC Loops [1]
Category: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Canada, Childhood Trauma, Found Family, Gen, Historical References, Native American Character(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Loop, Ymbryne
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26179267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooky_Spooks/pseuds/Spooky_Spooks
Summary: Snippets from the life of Miss Canada Goose and the wards in her loop.
Series: Original MPHFPC Loops [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019604
Kudos: 5





	1. Loop Details

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is just a write of loop details and the character's inside it. If you don't want to read this bit you can feel free to skip to the next chapter where the stories start.

Location: Outside Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Along the bank of the Grand River.

Date: October 24, 1893.

Ymbryne: Miss Canada Goose. Described as follows:

  * Sylvia Alpine Canada Goose, age 48.
    * Personality: Gentle with her children, but fiercely protective and untrusting of strangers. While she knows the value of academics, she does not force her children to learn anything they don’t wish too, knowing the unpleasant memories school holds for her younger children. She is gentle with her children, showing more maternal affection than is common for ymbrynes, seeing the children as her own rather than simply being under her care.
    * Physical Description: She is tall, with a long neck and sharp features. Her dark eyes are kind, though harden quickly at any potential threat. Her brown-black hair is long and whispy, though often pulled tightly into an updo away from her face. Her hands are calloused from long days working in the garden to feed the children, as well as repairing the home in which they lived. The long sleeves of her white button-down shirt are often stained with dirt, or gun powder from the shotgun used to protect their home. Her brown skirt is plain, and frequently the favored hiding spot of Haina, the youngest of her children.



Wards: 4. Described as follows:

  * Lena Bonnett, age 15.
    * Peculiarity: The ability to glow like the moon and emanate slight cold, or to shine brightly like the sun and emanate slight warmth.
    * Personality: Bold and outspoken. While she is polite, Lena does not hesitate to speak her mind. She is fiercely protective of the other children in the loop, and will not hesitate to defined them by whatever means necessary. She has taken a particular fondness to Haina Dákis, going so far as to create a method of nonverbal communication with the boy for times when he is uncomfortable with, or unable, to speak.
    * Physical Description: The picture of beauty and youth. Her long blonde hair falls in soft, perfect ringlettes, often pulled out of her face with a length of baby blue ribbon. Her porcelain skin is flawless and unmarred, giving her the appearance of a doll. She can most often be found in pretty dresses in pale blues to match her striking eyes, or other pastels as chosen by one of the younger children in the loop. The two youngest in the loop often find comfort in Lena’s soft embrace, which is pleasantly warm and comforting, though not just because of her peculiarity.
  * Octave Levesque, age 13.
    * Peculiarity: 8 shadows, each which may take physical form and behave as they please, although Octave seems to have limited control over his shadows.
    * Personality: Quiet, yet mischievous. He enjoys a bit of fun, sometimes at the expense of others, though he is never cruel. He shows enthusiasm for learning, particularly languages and can often be found attempting to learn another language, or to teach the other’s in the loop to speak French.
    * Physical Description: He is well-kempt, dressing neatly and ensuring his hair and appearance is neat, although this is more of a habit from his upbringing than an actual interest as it is with Lena. His cheeks still have some of their pudginess from his younger days and are dusted with a smattering of freckles. His chestnut coloured hair, though often swept up and gelled back, is almost long enough to brush his rounded cheeks. His green eyes, though sparkling with mischief always have a faint tired edge to them. It can be hard to sleep with eight figures hovering around you at all hours.
  * Nimkii Keewatin, age 10.
    * Peculiarity: A sonic boom, or thunderwave that radiates out from her and forces objects and people that are within range away from her. The sound can be heard for kilometers.
    * Personality: Most often cheerful and bubbly. While she is shy and untrusting at first, Nimkii thrives in a social environment. With the way she is frequently giggling and skipping cheerfully from room to room, one may never know that the girl is plagued by nightmares. She wakes up scared and screaming for a mother she can barely recall more nights than not.
    * Physical Description: She is small, though far from frail. She is surprisingly strong, though not unnaturally so, for her small frame. Her black, silky hair is most often tied in twin braids, framing either side of her often smiling face. Her smile is always wide, showing the gap near the back of her mouth where a tooth is beginning to come in. Her brown eyes are bright, shining with mirth, making a harsh contrast with the dark, deep bags under her eyes from the many sleepless nights the girl has experienced.
  * Haina Dákis, age 5.
    * Peculiarity: A spirit warrior that comes forth when Haina is in danger, or perceived danger. The spirit stays out for a few minutes and can fight off most threats.
    * Personality: Haina is shy and very timid. Most frequently he can be found clutching tightly to the skirts of Miss Canada Goose or Lena as they go through their days. He is quiet, even on the days when he finds himself able to speak, often preferring to colour or be read stories than play games with the other children. Most nights find him terrified, searching for the nuns and priests who had hurt him so many times before he realizes he is somewhere safe. He struggles to sleep, though finds it easier to do so when snuggling up in the safe arms of either Miss Canada Goose or Lena.
    * Physical Description: He is small, and appears frail and sickly. This is not aided by the dark circles under his eyes, so dark they make his brassy copper skin appear pale by comparison. His shaky hands reveal fingertips that are bloody and torn for all of the anxious bitings on the boy’s part. His hair is ruffled as messy, from his many restless nights spent tugging anxiously at it. 




	2. First Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stories of how each of Miss Canada Goose's ward's found their way to her Loop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some hints of child abuse in this chapter, though there are no outright depictions. There are also mentions of nuns. If any of these things both you in any way, I would advise you to proceed with caution.

Octave had been the first child Miss Canada Goose had taken in. She had been unsure, knowing very little about what it meant to be an ymbryne then. However, she knew she had to take in the boy. She had been walking along the streets of Brantford, intending only to purchase groceries, only to see Octave.

First came the sounds of a woman’s screams, shortly followed by a man’s voice shouting;

“Get out! Out of my house! Go back to Hell or wherever it is you came from!”

This was followed by a small boy being flung out of a nearby door and onto the street. The boy was crying heavily, his left cheek beginning to form a dark bruise. But that wasn’t what Miss Canada Goose had noticed first. No, what had caught her eye was the eight shadow’s surrounding the boy, one of which had pulled him upright and was trying to lead him by the hand down the street. Her heart went out the young boy, who was quite obviously peculiar. 

“Excuse me, young man?” She called out to him, trying to keep her voice gentle so as not to scare him. “I’ve just seen what happened. Do you have anywhere to go?”

This only seemed to make the boy cry harder. “N-non M-madame.”

Miss Canada Goose wanted to reach out and hug the boy but judged by the darkening patch on his cheek, that it would be a bad idea. “It’s alright, I only ask out of concern. Would you like to come home with me?”

He seemed to hesitate, looking to the doorway he had come from (now shut) and then to one of his shadows. At a nod from the shadow, the boy turned back to her and nodded himself.

Miss Canada Goose gave a kind smile, offering her hand to the boy. When he took it, she began to walk home, her hand in his. “What is your name?”

“Octave Levesque, mademoiselle,” he replied quietly, picking at his shirt sleeve as he spoke.

“It’s nice to meet you Octave,” she tried to reassure him by giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m Miss Canada Goose.”

The boy nodded, and their walk back to her home continued in silence. The shadows trailed behind, mostly mirroring Octave although occasionally a few of them would move on their own for a few moments. Thankfully, they seemed to realize that Octave was safe and were merely observing.

“Thank you for taking me in, Mademoiselle,” Octave told her as they stepped into the house. “I’m afraid I don’t have any skills, but I swear I’ll…” he hesitated, thinking for a moment. “Earn my keep? Is that how you say in English?”

Something about the idea of making this young boy work for his right to a home disgusted her. “No, we’ll have none of that. I’m going to take care of you as if you were my own, I’ll hear none of you working for it.”

Octave looked shocked by this and took a moment to reply. “Merci, Mademoiselle.”

Over the next few months, Octave would begin to come out of his shell as he realized the home was safe. After this, he quickly revealed himself to be a prankster, often hiding objects, or using his shadows to startle Miss Canada Goose. At first, this had been frustrating, but his joy made it worthwhile to her, and she eventually began to find it endearing. He showed interest in learning, which Miss Canada Goose was more than happy to indulge, bringing him new books any time she went into town.

~*~

A year later, Lena would join them. It had been what Octave and Miss Canada Goose thought was a normal night, and Octave had just been put to bed. Miss Canada Goose made her way back down the stairs to ensure the doors had been locked when she saw it. In the woods behind the house, there appeared to be a bright light moving quickly through the woods as if running. It looked like fire, except it wasn’t flickering or spreading, simply moving. Miss Canada Goose watched for a moment, wondering if she should intervene when a scream rang out from the direction of the light. 

Shouting to Octave to stay inside and to lock the doors, Miss Canada Goose grabbed the gun she kept above the fireplace and ran outside. She rushed towards the light and the sounds of screams, only stopping when she saw the source of both. There was a girl in her early teens, radiating a bright light like the sun itself, screaming and thrashing violently in the air. She had clearly been picked up by a hollow. 

Miss Canada Goose took a deep breath and hoped she was aiming for where the hollow was. She shot, and the bullet seemed to hit it’s target as the creature let out a deafening wail and dropped the girl. She looked around frantically, before finally locating the woman who had saved her. The girl got up quickly and ran for cover behind Miss Canada Goose. Now, with a better idea of where the creature was, she began to shoot again, not stopping until the bleeding mass ceased to move or make a sound. Then, she turned to the girl.

“Are you hurt?” She asked.

The girl shook her head, her blond curls smacking her cheeks as she did so. “Thank you for saving me, ma’am.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Miss Canada Goose replied. “Now, what’s your name dear?”

She seemed to hesitate before answering, fear briefly crossing her doll-like features. “Lena. Lena Bonnett.”

“I’m Miss Canada Goose,” She replied, ignoring the odd look the girl gave at the name. “We should get you home young lady, it’s not safe to be out after dark.”

“I...I don’t have one,” Lena replied quietly, avoiding eye contact. “Not anymore anyways.”

Miss Canada Goose’s heart broke for the child in front of her. “You can have a home with me if you’d like it.”

Lena smiled slightly. “I’d like that, Miss.”

When the pair arrived home, they were greeted by Octave who wrapped Miss Canada Goose in a hug the moment he saw her. Lena was instantly thrilled by the sight of the boy, explaining that she had always wanted a younger sibling. Miss Canada Goose was relieved to see the pair get along, knowing instantly that she cherished both of the children as if they were her own.

It took only a few weeks for Lena to tell Miss Canada Goose that she had been running in the woods that night because she thought running away from home was the only way to escape her arranged marriage. Miss Canada Goose promised the girl she would never be forced into anything again and reassured her that she was welcome to stay with them permanently. Lena was more than happy with this arrangement, quickly taking a liking to her new younger brother, who was eager to teach her his native language of French.

~*~

After Miss Canada Goose had been forced to create a loop, she was reluctant to bring in more children to the home, wanting them to have the opportunity to live normal lives. However, the sight of Nimkii changed her mind.

Miss Canada Goose had been slipping food to as many of the children forced to attend the Mohawk Institute as she could when the girl made herself known. She had been struggling against a pair of nuns who were dragging her into the building by her arms. Then, when it looked as though the girl was about to give in, a thunderous boom erupted from her and the nuns were sent flying several feet away. She looked startled, but the moment she realized they were unable to reach her she began to run. 

The girl ran with surprising speed, making it almost the entire way down the path towards the road by the time the nuns had managed to collect themselves. She stopped for breath, only to see that the nuns had begun running towards her, intent to bring the girl back into the building. The girl was clearly frantic as she broke into a sprint again, desperately trying to escape.

Miss Canada Goose gestured for the girl to run towards her, deciding immediately that this child was now one of her own. The girl hesitated, looking between her and the nuns before running towards Miss Canada Goose and hiding behind her skirt. The nuns approached, smiles on their faces, seeming to think that she was going to return the girl to them. However, the hard look they received from Miss Canada Goose was enough to send them scrambling back into the building.

Fearing they had merely gone back inside to gather more courageous staff members or to contact authorities, she took the younger girl by the hand and began to lead her away from the ‘school’ and towards her home. A few times along their way the girl stopped moving and seemed to reconsider her choice to follow Miss Canada Goose. When this happened, she would stop and allow the girl to decide on her own what she would do.

“What is your name, little one?” Miss Canada Goose asked during one of these moments. “I’m Miss Canada Goose.”

“Nimkii Keewatin,” she replied quietly after a long pause to think about the words Miss Canada Goose had said.

“Well Nimkii, I would like to bring you to my home if it is alright with you,” Miss Canada Goose enquired as they resumed their walk. “There are other children there, and we will take good care of you.”

Nimkii seemed to consider this for a few moments, puzzling over the words said in a language that did not come naturally to her. “En’? Y-yes?” The words seemed to struggle to come out.

Miss Canada Goose gave her a reassuring smile and a small nod. “We’ll be glad to have you.”

When they arrived back at the home, it took a couple of months for Nimkii to become comfortable in the home. However, when she did she revealed herself to be quite the character. Nimkii was a cheerful child, often giggling and playing with her new older siblings. While she enjoyed braiding Lena’s hair, she took a particular liking to Octave and his shadows, who’s antics made her burst into a fit of giggles with frequency. Despite the nightmares Nimkii frequently suffered from, not a single person in the loop would trade her for anything.

~*~

Hania was the last child to join the loop and by far the most eventful joining. The children had been enjoying a day outside when screams erupted from the direction of the Mohawk Institute. Miss Canada Goose quickly ushered the children inside, reminding them to lock the doors before running off to see what the commotion was about. Arriving at the “school”, she was greeted with an undoubtedly peculiar sight.

In the yard was a small child, curled in on himself covering his ears, closing his eyes and shaking his head from side to side, clearly in distress. Standing above the boy was a translucent purple warrior, his yellow warpaint adding to his intimidation. He stood above the boy, brandishing his bow at anyone who approached. However, he was beginning to fade and seemed to realize this. The warrior fired what must have been a warning arrow at the feet of the nearest staff member before completely fading, his arrow doing the same after a few seconds.

While the Mohawk Insitute’s staff had either run into the building or were frozen in fear, Miss Canada Goose wasted no time. She rushed over to the boy, bringing him into her arms and attempting to soothe him. After a few moments, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder and continuing to cry. It was in this moment that she knew, even if this boy had not been peculiar, she would do her damnedest to keep him away from this place and the horrible people inside it. She gently scooped the boy into her arms and began to walk back to the home.

“Are you alright?” She asked him once they were out of sight of the school. “Did they hurt you?”

The boy nodded without removing his face from her shoulder but said no more.

Her heart clenched, and she held him just a little tighter. “You’re safe now. We’re never going to hurt you.”

The boy gripped the back of her shirt tighter in his small hands and said nothing.

When they returned to the home, Lena was excited to have yet another younger sibling, though she seemed to understand the young boy’s fear and initially kept her distance. Octave also kept his distance, doing his best to keep his shadows from scaring the boy until he had adjusted to living in their home. Nimkii however, never left the boy’s side, often helping him to understand the bits of English he did not understand, as well as helping others to understand the Ojibwa the boy frequently used on the rare occasions he did speak.

While he didn’t speak often, they eventually learned his name was Hania Dákis. He revealed himself to be shy and timid, choosing more often than not to cling to the skirts of Lena and Miss Canada Goose, simply watching as they carried on their daily activities. Though with increasing frequency, Hania did choose to colour, or allow himself to be read to rather than to cling, though he still remained quiet and preferred not to play games with the other children. Still, he made a lovely addition to their household, even if he did add to the symphony of nightmares the plagued the house in the later hours.


End file.
